Conversion of glutamate to glutamine by permeabilizedCorynebacterium glutamicum

Glutamate was converted to glutamine byCorynebacterium glutamicum permeabilized by ethanol (10%). ATP was supplied to the reaction by driedSaccharomyces cerevisiae or regenerated by acetyl kinase. High glutamine synthetase activity inC. glutamicum was induced by cultivation of the microorganism in media containing glutamate as the sole source of nitrogen.     

Multiple molecular forms of glutamine synthetase in carp muscles]

Cytoplasmic and mitochondrial molecular forms of glutamine synthetase (CE 6.3.1.2) have been isolated from the carp muscle with purification degree of 100 and 165 times and output 9.0%. It is established that the temperature optimum of the cytoplasmic form activity is 30 degrees C and that of mitochondrial one--20 degrees C; the pH optimum for the both molecular forms is 6.0 and 8.2. The optimal ratio [Me2+] : [ATP] for the isolated form is 2:1; Km (seeming) of the cytoplasmic form in the presence of Mg2+ is 6.0 mM for glutamate, 0.035 for ammonium, for ATP 0.5 and 0.7 for magnesium ions; these values for the mitochondrial form are: 14.3, 0.048, 1.0 and 0.8 mM, respectively. Activity of the both glutamine synthetases with Mg2+ ions is almost by 50% higher than that of glutamine synthetases with Mn2+ ions. Seasonal regularities of the synthesis of molecular glutamine synthetase forms have been established in vivo. Cytoplasmic form is present in the muscles all year round, while mitochondrial one only in winter at low temperature of the environment and fish starvation. Differences in properties and seasonal character of synthesis of molecular glutamine synthetase forms in carp muscles are a result of diversity of their functional role.     

Conversion of a beta-ketoacyl synthase to a malonyl decarboxylase by replacement of the active-site cysteine with glutamine.

beta-Ketoacyl synthases involved in the biosynthesis of fatty acids and polyketides exhibit extensive sequence similarity and share a common reaction mechanism, in which the carbanion participating in the condensation reaction is generated by decarboxylation of a malonyl or methylmalonyl moiety; normally, the decarboxylation step does not take place readily unless an acyl moiety is positioned on the active-site cysteine residue in readiness for the ensuing condensation reaction. Replacement of the cysteine nucleophile (Cys-161) with glutamine, in the beta-ketoacyl synthase domain of the multifunctional animal fatty acid synthase, completely inhibits the condensation reaction but increases the uncoupled rate of malonyl decarboxylation by more than 2 orders of magnitude. On the other hand, replacement with Ser, Ala, Asn, Gly, and Thr compromises the condensation reaction without having any marked effect on the decarboxylation reaction. The affinity of the beta-ketoacyl synthase for malonyl moieties, in the absence of acetyl moieties, is significantly increased in the Cys161Gln mutant compared to that in the wild type and is similar to that exhibited by the wild-type beta-ketoacyl synthase in the presence of an acetyl primer. These results, together with modeling studies of the Cys --> Gln mutant from the crystal structure of the Escherichia coli beta-ketoacyl synthase II enzyme, suggest that the side chain carbonyl group of the Gln-161 can mimic the carbonyl of the acyl moiety in the acyl-enzyme intermediate so that the mutant adopts a conformation analogous to that of the acyl-enzyme intermediate. Catalysis of the decarboxylation of malonyl-CoA requires the dimeric form of the Cys161Gln fatty acid synthase and involves prior transfer of the malonyl moiety from the CoA ester to the acyl carrier protein domain and subsequent release of the acetyl product by transfer back to a CoA acceptor. These results suggest that the role of the Cys --> Gln beta-ketoacyl synthases found in the loading domains of some modular polyketide synthases likely is to act as malonyl, or methylmalonyl, decarboxylases that provide a source of primer for the chain extension reactions catalyzed by associated modules containing fully competent beta-ketoacyl synthases.     

Conversion of the proximal histidine ligand to glutamine restores activity to an inactive mutant of cytochrome c peroxidase.

Using site-directed mutagenesis, a double mutant in yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) has been constructed where the proximal ligand, His175, has been converted to glutamine and the neighboring Trp191 has been converted to phenylalanine. The refined 2.4-A crystal structure of the double mutant shows that the Gln175 side chain is within coordination distance of the heme iron atom and that Phe191 occupies the same position as Trp191 in the native enzyme with very little rearrangement outside the immediate vicinity of the mutations. Consistent with earlier work, we find that the single mutant, His175-->Gln, is fully active under steady state assay conditions and that as reported earlier (Mauro et al., 1988), the Trp191-->Phe mutant exhibits only < 0.05% activity. However, the double mutant, His175-->Gln/Phe191-->Phe, exhibits 20% wild type activity. Since it is known that the Trp191-->Phe mutant is inactive because it can no longer transfer electrons from ferrocytochrome c, changing the nature of the proximal ligand is able to restore this activity. These results raise interesting questions regarding the mechanism of interprotein electron transfer reactions.     

Transport of glutamine and glutamate in kidney mitochondria in relation to glutamine deamidation

1. In the absence of added ADP glutamine is transformed by pig kidney mitochondria to ammonium glutamate, which appears in the external medium. This reaction is stimulated only slightly by the addition of ADP, but under these conditions about 20% of the glutamate is oxidized to aspartate. 2. Externally added glutamate is oxidized to aspartate, and at about the same rate as glutamine. 3. The net rates of glutamine and glutamate influx into the intramitochondrial compartment are very slow. 4. The phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity of intact mitochondria is stimulated by the provision of energy. 5. The provision of energy also decreases the concentration of glutamate and increases the concentration of glutamine in the intramitochondrial compartment. These energy-linked changes in the glutamine and glutamate concentrations are of equal magnitude. 6. It is suggested that transport of glutamine and glutamate across the inner membrane of kidney mitochondria occurs by an obligatory exchange between the two metabolites, and is electrogenic. The existence of an electrogenic glutamine-glutamate anti-porter is proposed.     

The regulation of glutamine transport and glutamine synthetase in Salmonella typhimurium.

Transport of glutamine by the high-affinity transport system is regulated by the nitrogen status of the medium. With high concentrations of ammonia, transport is repressed; whereas with Casamino acids, transport is elevated, showing behaviour similar to glutamine synthetase. A glutamine auxotroph, lacking glutamine synthetase activity, had elevated transport activity even in the presence of high concentrations of ammonia (and glutamine). This suggests that glutamine synthetase is involved in the regulation of the transport system. A mutant with low glutamate synthase activity had low glutamine transport and glutamine synthetase activities, which could not be derepressed. A mutant in the high-affinity glutamine transport system showed normal regulation of glutamate synthase and glutamine synthetase. Possible mechanisms for this regulation are discussed.     

Distribution of glutamine synthetase and an inverse relationship between glutamine synthetase expression and intramuscular glutamine concentration in the horse

Glutamine plays important roles in the interorgan transport of nitrogen, carbon and energy but little is known about glutamine metabolism in the horse. In this study we determined the tissue distribution of glutamine synthetase expression in three Standardbred mares. Expression of glutamine synthetase was highest in kidney and mammary gland, and relatively high in liver and adipose tissue. Expression was lower in gluteus muscle, thymus, colon and lung, and much lower in small intestine, pancreas and uterus. The pattern of glutamine synthetase expression in the horse is similar to that of other herbivores and it is likely that skeletal muscle, liver, adipose tissue and lungs are the major sites of net glutamine synthesis in this species. Expression did not differ between adipose tissue depots but did vary between different muscles. Expression was highest in gluteus and semimembranous muscles and much lower in diaphragm and heart muscles. The concentration of intramuscular free glutamine was inversely correlated with expression of glutamine synthetase (r=-0.81, p=0.0017). The concentration of free glutamine was much higher in heart muscle (21.6+/-0.9 micromol/g wet wt) than in gluteus muscle (4.19+0.33 micromol/g wet wt), which may indicate novel functions and/or regulatory mechanisms for glutamine in the equine heart.     

Roles of glutamine in neurotransmission

Glutamine (Gln) is found abundantly in the central nervous system (CNS) where it participates in a variety of metabolic pathways. Its major role in the brain is that of a precursor of the neurotransmitter amino acids: the excitatory amino acids, glutamate (Glu) and aspartate (Asp), and the inhibitory amino acid, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA). The precursor-product relationship between Gln and Glu/GABA in the brain relates to the intercellular compartmentalization of the Gln/Glu(GABA) cycle (GGC). Gln is synthesized from Glu and ammonia in astrocytes, in a reaction catalyzed by Gln synthetase (GS), which, in the CNS, is almost exclusively located in astrocytes (Martinez-Hernandez et al., 1977). Newly synthesized Gln is transferred to neurons and hydrolyzed by phosphate-activated glutaminase (PAG) to give rise to Glu, a portion of which may be decarboxylated to GABA or transaminated to Asp. There is a rich body of evidence which indicates that a significant proportion of the Glu, Asp and GABA derived from Gln feed the synaptic, neurotransmitter pools of the amino acids. Depolarization-induced-, calcium- and PAG activity-dependent releases of Gln-derived Glu, GABA and Asp have been observed in CNS preparations in vitro and in the brain in situ. Immunocytochemical studies in brain slices have documented Gln transfer from astrocytes to neurons as well as the location of Gln-derived Glu, GABA and Asp in the synaptic terminals. Patch-clamp studies in brain slices and astrocyte/neuron co-cultures have provided functional evidence that uninterrupted Gln synthesis in astrocytes and its transport to neurons, as mediated by specific carriers, promotes glutamatergic and GABA-ergic transmission. Gln entry into the neuronal compartment is facilitated by its abundance in the extracellular spaces relative to other amino acids. Gln also appears to affect neurotransmission directly by interacting with the NMDA class of Glu receptors. Transmission may also be modulated by alterations in cell membrane polarity related to the electrogenic nature of Gln transport or to uncoupled ion conductances in the neuronal or glial cell membranes elicited by Gln transporters. In addition, Gln appears to modulate the synthesis of the gaseous messenger, nitric oxide (NO), by controlling the supply to the cells of its precursor, arginine. Disturbances of Gln metabolism and/or transport contribute to changes in Glu-ergic or GABA-ergic transmission associated with different pathological conditions of the brain, which are best recognized in epilepsy, hepatic encephalopathy and manganese encephalopathy.     

Role of glutamine aminotransferase in glutamine catabolism by Saccharomyces cerevisiae under microaerophilic conditions

The involvement of glutamine aminotransferase activity in glutamine catabolism by Saccharomyces cerevisiae under microaerophilic conditions was studied. We were able to show that there are at least two different glutamine aminotransferase activities that are differentiated genetically, by their substrate specificity (pyruvate and glyoxylate dependence), and their different modes of regulation. The pyruvate-dependent glutamine aminotransferase activity plays a major role in glutamine catabolism under microaerophilic conditions since the wild-type strain S288C showed a 10-fold higher activity in static cultures than in agitated ones. The same strain also had 3-fold higher glutaminase B activity in agitated cultures than in static ones. Pyruvate-dependent glutamine aminotransferase activity is not regulated directly by O2 itself since a rho- strain showed a high activity regardless of the extent of aeration of cultures. Finally, we were able to isolate a mutant, strain CN20, derived from the rho- strain and unable to utilize glutamine as the sole nitrogen source, which was severely affected in pyruvate-dependent but not in glyoxylate-dependent aminotransferase activity.     

Visualization of glutamine transporter activities in living cells using genetically encoded glutamine sensors

Glutamine plays a central role in the metabolism of critical biological molecules such as amino acids, proteins, neurotransmitters, and glutathione. Since glutamine metabolism is regulated through multiple enzymes and transporters, the cellular glutamine concentration is expected to be temporally dynamic. Moreover, differentiation in glutamine metabolism between cell types in the same tissue (e.g. neuronal and glial cells) is often crucial for the proper function of the tissue as a whole, yet assessing cell-type specific activities of transporters and enzymes in such heterogenic tissue by physical fractionation is extremely challenging. Therefore, a method of reporting glutamine dynamics at the cellular level is highly desirable. Genetically encoded sensors can be targeted to a specific cell type, hence addressing this knowledge gap. Here we report the development of F?ster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) glutamine sensors based on improved cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins, monomeric Teal Fluorescent Protein (mTFP)1 and venus. These sensors were found to be specific to glutamine, and stable to pH-changes within a physiological range. Using cos7 cells expressing the human glutamine transporter ASCT2 as a model, we demonstrate that the properties of the glutamine transporter can easily be analyzed with these sensors. The range of glutamine concentration change in a given cell can also be estimated using sensors with different affinities. Moreover, the mTFP1-venus FRET pair can be duplexed with another FRET pair, mAmetrine and tdTomato, opening up the possibility for real-time imaging of another molecule. These novel glutamine sensors will be useful tools to analyze specificities of glutamine metabolism at the single-cell level.     

Effect of glutamine on the degradation of glutamine synthetase in hepatoma tissue-culture cells.

In certain lines of hepatoma tissue-culture cells, the extracellular glutamine concentration regulates the specific activity of glutamine synthetase. By quantifying the radioactivity in immunoprecipitated glutamine synthetase on polyacrylamide gels, we found that the rate of degradation, but not of synthesis, of glutamine synthetase is a sensitive function of extracellular glutamine. The activiy that degrades this enzyme appears to be labile.     

Effect of enteral glutamine on leucine, phenylalanine and glutamine metabolism in hypercortisolemic subjects

The effect of enteral Gln on protein and Gln metabolism was investigated during experimental hypercortisolemia. Four groups of subjects that had received corticosteroids and either enteral Gln (0.5 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) for 2 days) or isonitrogenous Ala-Gly were studied in a fasted or in a fed state. In either state, enteral Gln, compared with Ala-Gly, induced no statistically significant change in the endogenous rate of Leu appearance, an index of proteolysis, Leu oxidation, and nonoxidative Leu disposal, an index of protein synthesis, as studied by kinetics of [1-(13)C]Leu. Similar data were obtained from kinetics of [(2)H(5)]Phe, resulting in an unchanged protein balance in both cases. In contrast, enteral Gln significantly decreased the endogenous rate of Gln appearance and Gln de novo synthesis in the fed state (P < 0.05) as estimated by the kinetics of [(15)N]Gln. This decrease in Gln de novo synthesis induced by Gln could contribute to spare amino acids in hypercatabolic patients.     

Rhythms in glutamine synthetase activity, energy charge, and glutamine in sunflower roots

Roots of sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L. var. Mammoth Russian) subjected to L12:D12, L18:D6, and L12:D12 followed by continuous light all display rhythms of about 12 hours for glutamine synthetase (GS) activity (transferase reaction) with one peak in the `light phase' and one in the `dark phase.' Root energy charge (EC = ATP+½ADP/ATP+ADP+AMP) is directly correlated with GS, but the GS rhythm is better explained as the result of a rhythmic adenine nucleotide ratio (ATP/ADP+AMP) that regulates enzyme activity through allosteric modification. When L12:D12 plants are subjected to free-running conditions in continuous darkness, only diurnal rhythms for GS and EC, with peaks in the dark phase, remain. The 12-hour root rhythms for GS and EC appear to be composed of two alternating rhythms, one a diurnal, light-dependent, incompletely circadian light phase rhythm and the other a light-independent, circadian dark phase rhythm.

Only glutamine, of the root amino acids, displays cyclical changes in concentration, maintaining under all conditions a 12-hour rhythm that is consistently synchronized with, but nearly always inversely correlated with, GS and EC rhythms.